Primary Source Research in International Relations (SAIS)
Government Documents
U.S. government documents can be valuable research tools for topics of international interest. Some key resources are as follows; see the American Foreign Policy research guide for many more:
- GovInfo.govA website providing access to official publications of all three branches of the United States government.
- ProQuest Congressional This link opens in a new windowFull-text Congressional hearings, CRS reports, Congressional Record and other congressional documents, back to 1789.
- Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS)The official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions. Also in print: JX 233 .A3
- U.S. Presidential LibraryIncludes Messages and Papers of the Presidents, Public Papers of the Presidents, Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, and more.
- U.S. Supreme Court LibraryThis library offers the only complete coverage of the official U.S. Reports from 1754 onwards. Includes Slip Opinions and Preliminary Prints from 2002 to date.
- U.S. Federal Agency Documents, Decisions, and Appeals LibraryA complete collection of the official case law of some of the United States' most important government institutions.
- A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and DebatesDigitized document collection covering 1774-1875 at the Library of Congress.
- Links to Governmental WebsitesFrom Northwestern University, a guide with links to websites of national governments and their agencies.
- State Papers Online: the Government of Britain, 1509-1782A searchable archive of 16th-18th century British State Papers Domestic, Foreign, Scotland, Ireland and Registers of the Privy Council.
- U.K. Parliamentary PapersThe most detailed primary source for 20th century Britain, its colonies, and the wider world. They are a major part of the historical record. Coverage is 1800 - 2010.
- Cabinet Papers, 1915-1988Cabinet Office records are a major source for British political history from the early twentieth century. Selected documents are digitized and free to view, others can be digitized on demand for a fee.
- Grand Secretariat Archives DatabaseContains about 310,000 government documents dating from the Ming dynasty to the Qing dynasty (1368-1912)A special application must be installed to view the text images. The software can be downloaded from the service's home page. To access the database, click on “ 授權使用 ” button and input the user id and password. Please contact East Asian Studies Librarian (yye@jhu.edu) or ask@jhu.libanswers.com for the access credentials.
- Databases on the History of Contemporary Chinese Political MovementsSources include government documents, directives, bulletins, speeches by Mao Zedong and other officials, major newspaper and magazine editorials, and other types of documents. Coverage is 1949-1976.
- Official Gazettes and Civil Society DocumentationA collection of official gazettes and other key historical government documentation from 10 African and Persian Gulf countries where the integrity of the public record is known to be at risk.
- German Foreign Ministry Archives, 1867-1920Digitized documents from the collection at Whaddon Hall, England.
- EuroDocs: Online Sources for European HistoryThese links connect to European primary historical documents that are transcribed, reproduced in facsimile, or translated.
- Arab-Israeli Relations 1917-1970 This link opens in a new windowA wide range of original source material, from the 1917 Balfour Declaration through to the Black September war of 1970-1. These materials - letters, minutes, reports, maps - are selected from primary source documents at the National Archives, London.
- Iraq, 1914-1974 This link opens in a new windowOffers a broad range of original source material from the Foreign Office, Colonial Office, War Office and Cabinet Papers covering the period from the Anglo-Indian landing in Basra in 1914 through the British Mandate in Iraq of 1920-32 to the rise of Saddam Hussein in 1974.
- Guide to Official Publications of Foreign CountriesIs a good source for identifying government documents of individual countries (official gazettes, legislative proceedings, censuses, etc.).
- Last Updated: Nov 7, 2024 10:02 AM
- URL: https://guides.library.jhu.edu/primary_IR
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